Beautiful Broken Love

by Shanora Williams

“Davina, I know you don’t want to hear me say this, but I love you, all right? And there’s nothing you can say that’ll change my mind, because you’re speaking out of anger and hurt, and I know those feelings. I embodied those feelings for years. Angry all the time, pissed off at the world, wondering why it had to be my brother, wondering what the hell I did to deserve any of what I went through.” “No,” I whimpered, backing away. “You don’t. You can’t love me.” “Yes, I can,” he declared. “I fucking love you. Since the day I set foot in your office, way before I even noticed those rings on your finger, I took one look into your eyes, and you had me. I wanted something with you, and I didn’t care what it was. All I knew was that I could not let you get away from me. You could not leave my life.” “Deke, please,” I cried, bowing my head. “Just stop talking, please.” “No, because I want you to know it, Davina. I’m tired of hiding it.” He caught my hand and clasped it in his, trying to catch my eyes, too, but I wouldn’t look. I couldn’t look, or I’d break. “When you’re away from me, my heart bleeds, Davina. My chest hurts and I drown in my own misery every time I have to watch you walk away from me. I can’t think straight. I can’t sleep. I can barely eat. All those times before, I just let you go because I knew I couldn’t have you, or that you weren’t ready for it yet, but I can’t keep letting you slip away from me. I want you in ways I never thought possible, and I have never fe...